Jim Vogel
It’s Not All Fun and Games
Jim Vogel
Born in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1964, Jim Vogel was the eleventh of twelve children. His upbringing in this small Southwestern town played a pivotal role in shaping his artistic sensibilities. Encouraged by his parents to explore drawing and painting, Vogel’s natural talent flourished without the confines of formal training. Visits to the Roswell Museum of Art exposed him to regional masters like Peter Hurd, Luis Jimenez, Elmer Schooley, Howard Cook, and Georgia O’Keefe, whose influences would later permeate his own work.
For Jim Vogel, painting is more than a visual endeavor; it is a narrative experience. His canvases are vibrant stories of the Southwest, told through the lens of personal memories and community folklore. Inspired by tales from his grandfather, mother, and the residents of the Embudo Valley, Vogel captures the essence of the land and its people. He believes that when conveyed authentically, these regional stories gain universal resonance.
Vogel’s artistry is further enriched through collaboration with his wife, Christen, an artist herself. Together, they frame his paintings using creatively salvaged materials. These custom frames, often crafted from found objects and antique architectural elements, add an extra layer of storytelling to each piece. Their greatest collaboration, however, remains their three children—Grayson, Sage, and Makaela—who are each pursuing their own creative paths.
Jim Vogel continues to enrich the art world with his compelling narratives and vivid portrayals of everyday life. His works transcend mere aesthetic appeal, offering viewers a deep connection to the stories and landscapes that define America. Whether through his evocative paintings or the unique frames crafted by Christen, Vogel’s art is a testament to the power of storytelling and the enduring spirit of all people.
O n display : O ct O ber 10-19, 2025
Jim Vogel’s It’s Not All Fun and Games blends childhood nostalgia with cultural insight. Rooted in New Mexico regionalism, his expressive figures capture the grit, humor, and heart of Southwestern life. Revisiting youthful games through an adult lens, Vogel reveals how innocent play reflected deeper societal narratives. Playful yet poignant, this series offers a vivid window into the imagination and resilience of the American Southwest.
this sale will be conducted by draw on october 10, 2025
S pi n & Win!
Kick off Jim Vogel’s one-man show with a little vintage flair!
Jim and his wife, Christen, discovered a classic roulette wheel and are bringing it to the gallery for opening night fun.
Beginning at 5 PM, we’ll hand out 100 numbered tickets—first come, first served.
Here’s how it works:
• Ask for a number when you arrive.
• Only 36 of the tickets match the wheel numbers.
• The remaining **64 are marked “0,” so you may not spin—but you’ll still enjoy the show!
• If your number is called, step up and spin the vintage roulette wheel.
• Four lucky winners will take home a miniature original artwork by Jim Vogel!
No need to line up early—just come, mingle, and enjoy the art. The giveaway runs until all 100 numbers are gone or until 7 PM.
Bang! Bang! You’re DeaD!
Oil on gesso panel with antique marble game and vintage cap-gun
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel 24.5” x 13”
This piece was inspired by the childhood games of Cowboys and Indians and Cops and Robbers. We ran around with toy guns, shooting at each other in play. Looking back now, I can’t help but wonder how that kind of childhood play—along with the way the “West” has been represented in the media— shaped today’s gun culture and the fascination with firearms.
8-Ball
This piece was partially inspired by Jim Croce’s 1972 hit Don’t Mess Around with Jim. In the song, a character named Slim comes back to the pool hall to settle a score with the shark, Big Jim. For me, setting the story in New Mexico meant Slim naturally became Flaco. It’s been a few years since his last run-in, but this time I imagined Flaco’s wife showing up—not to rescue him, but to keep him from making the same mistake again. After all, she’s not about to bail him out of trouble one more time.
8-Ball
Oil on canvas panel
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel 106” x 54”
CheCk all Guns at the Bar
This piece is inspired by one of my favorite historic Nuevo Mexicanos, Elfego Baca. According to Baca, when he was a teenager, he befriended none other than Billy the Kid. Billy would ride over to Socorro from Lincoln, and together they’d hop a train to Albuquerque to sample the saloons. Elfego was just sixteen, Billy a little older, but in those days, if you had money, the barkeeps were more than happy to serve you. There was, however, a strictly enforced no-guns-in-the-saloon rule. Billy wasn’t one for rules. He kept a tiny derringer tucked under his hat, and when the night was lively enough, he’d slip it out, fire a shot into the ceiling, and slide it back under his brim. That was the moment young Elfego realized his friend truly was loco. Of course, it wasn’t long before the bouncer tossed both boys through the swinging doors. And the historic accuracy of this tale? Well, it was told by Elfego Baca, verified by Elfego Baca, and confirmed by the only surviving witness at the time—Elfego Baca himself.
CheCk all guns at the Bar Oil on gesso panels (diptych) Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel 22” x 19”
Crazy PitCh
This diptych is inspired by my memories of my dad playing horseshoes with his buddies at the Nights Of Columbus hall. It’s a simple narrative, the seasoned players let a less experienced player into the game and crazy pitches fly. I’m not saying that any of my sisters threw a crazy pitch during one of these weekend gatherings but the young woman on the left panel may have a familial resemblance. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of an errant pitch, you remember the moment you saw that steel shoe, flying slow motion, right for you like you were some kind of magnet. It leaves a mark, and a memory.
As soon as we started brainstorming a horseshoe concept Christen knew which antique tin she wanted to incorporate into the frames. It is traditionally called egg and dart but in our case it became stake and horseshoe. She used the bottom portion of a pair of antique doors for the bases, leaving some of the original scumbled finish. Making Crazy Pitch a diptych also gives the observer an opportunity to anticipate the impending impact.
(DiPtYCh)
Oil on gesso panel
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel
(DiPtYCh)
Oil on gesso panel
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel
CrazY PitCh i
34” x 29”
CrazY PitCh ii
34” x 29”
Domino
This piece started with Christen’s love of antique domino sets.Over the years, she’s collected these beautiful old tiles, each with its own design and quiet history. For this work, she created the frame with those dominos running all the way around—every set telling a story before you even reach the painting itself.
Inside the frame, I wanted to bring those dominos to life. I painted a group of friends gathered under the streetlights, cigar glowing in the dusk, cold bottle of Cerveza Hatuey ready to drink. You can almost hear the laughter and the clatter of tiles on the table. Off to the side, the neighborhood ladies lean in together, sharing the latest chisme. The gossip flows as naturally as the game—it’s all part of the rhythm of the night. This show is called It’s Not All Fun and Games, and for me, that title cuts both ways. Dominoes aren’t just a pastime; they’re a tradition, a community, a way of passing stories as much as passing time. Christen and I wanted the piece—the painting and the frame together—to feel like you’re stepping into that circle, where the game is only half the story and the people are the real heart of it.
Oil on gesso panels with antique wood and dominoes frame
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel 45” x 34”
Domino
in Pursuit of BanDits; el CaBallito Breaks free from the flyinG Jenny
This piece was created to honor the Taos Lions Club’s Tio Vivo, the Flying Jenny–style carousel that has delighted children at Taos Fiestas every year since 1939. Originally known as El Caballito in Peñasco, NM, the manually powered ride was later moved to Taos and renamed Tio Vivo. It has since been motorized, but its spirit remains unchanged.
I wanted to capture the power of a child’s imagination—how easily a ride on a wooden horse becomes a life-or-death chase after outlaws. The game board beneath the scene represents Hollywood’s influence on the myth of the Wild West and how deeply that imagery has seeped into our shared culture. El Caballito is currently on display at the Couse-Sharp Historic Site’s exhibition Timeless Turns: The Legacy of Tio Vivo. Proceeds from the sale of this piece will support the mission of the Couse-Sharp Historic Site.
in Pursuit of BanDits; el CaBallito Breaks free from the flYing JennY
Oil on gesso panel with vintage game board and vintage Carrum Board
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel - 28.5” x 28.5”
Goose Game; lauGhinG all the Way to the Bank
Christen discovered an antique Goose Game board and brought it home, certain we could make something of it. I wasn’t sure what—until I dreamed the answer: a skeleton in formal attire, riding a unicycle, with a honking goose tucked under his arm. If you look closely, it’s all there on the board. Our unicyclist is imagined as a lesser angel of death, much like New Mexico’s two-wheeled, cart-riding Doña Sebastiana. But since his duty is limited to ferrying domestic fowl to the other side, he’s been given only a one-wheeled vehicle.
Fate, however, has smiled on Don Sabastanisto today. He’s escorting none other than the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg. With sudden fortune in hand, he laughs his way to the bank—and then to the bike shop, ready to trade up for a proper two-wheeler.
goose game; laughing all the WaY to the Bank
Oil on gesso panels with gold leaf egg, antique french Goose Game board, framed with vintage Carrom board.
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel 28.5” x 28.5”
eCliPse Croquet: Billy loses his PatienCe With Charlie BoWDre
This work was inspired by a historic photograph of people playing croquet in front of a schoolhouse—a photo that some believe includes Billy the Kid. It also seems to show one of Billy’s friends, Charlie Bowdre. Both had worked for the English rancher John Tunstall, who may well have introduced the refined lawn game to his rough young cowhands. Of course, historians still debate whether the photograph is authentic. For my part, I like to imagine it truly was Billy and Charlie, two of the Regulators, enjoying a genteel round of croquet. That is, until Billy lost patience with Charlie for taking too long with his shot. The scene was further inspired when Christen came across a well-worn Eclipse Croquet set in Albuquerque—complete with its original wooden box—which provided the perfect stage for this painting.
eCliPse Croquet: BillY loses his PatienCe With Charlie BoWDre Oil on canvas panel with antique arch-topped door and antique croquet set. Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel 51” x 23”
BuCkin' BaCon
I wanted to try my hand at the cliche of the cowboy on a bucking bronco but with a twist or two. First off it’s a cowgirl not boy and she’s breaking a big ol’ pig, subverting expected gender roles. Secondly, she’s on a big ol’ pig, if that doesn’t make you smile you're a sourpuss. The rider is modeled after our daughter’s friend from middle school, Little Red (her older brother already had the monicker Big Red so she had to be Little) whose determination on the cross country team matched her red hair. The rodeo marble game was the perfect background for Little Red with a cast of cowboy characters (and a racist trope thrown in for a reality check of the times), including its own Big Red, watching the event from the upper right corner. Christen incorporated a vintage silk scarf with a fancy horse motif to further build out the background. She kept the energy up with the undulating folk art frame. About the time we were finishing up on Buck’n Bacon our son, Sage, brought us the animated bucking bronco belt buckle. He found it in one of the old adobe buildings he was cleaning out on his property. Another case of it all coming together and exceeding my initial vision.
Oil on gesso panel with vintage game board
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel 29” x 25”
Buckin in collaboration
BuCkin' BaCon
Let’s just say right off, there is a problematic issue with the title. But it’s just what you say when someone racks the pool balls perfectly. Actually it’s what Christen and I said when we saw the antique cue rack and the title stuck. Not only is it a nice rack but it also makes a very nice frame. Of course there are other connotations of the title which I hope I have addressed in tasteful manner (except the jackalope mount, those are always in poor taste). Thanks to Kahlua for being in the studio when I needed the perfect model.
Oil on canvas panel with antique pool cue rack Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel
x 34.75”
niCe raCk
62.5”
Pony exPress
When I came across this old Western board game from the TV show Cheyenne, I was immediately drawn to the little Pony Express station pictured on it. It sparked a memory of those Pony Salesmen photographs that were so common in the mid20th century. From the 1930s into the 1960s, photographers would travel from town to town with a pony, dressing kids up as cowboys or cowgirls and capturing that moment of make-believe for just a small fee. The photos were often hand-colored, turning a quick street-corner portrait into a treasured keepsake. I’ve always carried one of those images—an old photo of my mother and her two little sisters in their cowgirl outfits, on the pony. It’s a piece of family history, and a reminder of how big those small childhood dreams could be. For this painting, I worked on a gesso panel and imagined our own Pony Express rider in silhouette, caught in a moment of hesitation—the kind of look you might see in a child who isn’t entirely sure about sitting on a horse but is willing to go along to please his parents. To complement the image, Christen framed the piece with her touch of history, and we added a small cast-iron bucking bronco toy at the bottom, tying the whole work back to the playthings and pastimes that inspired it. This piece is about memory and imagination, about the games we play and the stories they help us carry forward.
PonY exPress
Oil on gesso panel, antique carved frame, antique cast iron toy and vintage game board
Frame in collaboration with Christen Vogel 24” x 21.5”
